“Doesn’t ring a bell for me. But Lana should have a look too.”
“Cal, you better wake her up. We need some answers.”
“Answers about what?”
Cal whipped his head around to find Lana standing in the doorway.
Dammit, she needed to quit doing that.
There she stood, hair damp and wavy around her shoulders, nearly touching her waist. She wore a snug, white long-sleeved shirt—definitely not one of his—and gray leggings. With her makeup immaculate, the sharp blue of her eyes popped, and her skin was smooth and pale. Whatever fatigue had been there this morning was long gone.
His cock grew an inch.
Cal got to his feet, approached Lana, and took her hand. “We have something for you to look at. We’re not sure it’s Will Anderson, but we found a social media account that could be his.” She lowered herself into Cal’s chair and he handed her the phone.
Her brow furrowed, studying the screen. Cal stared at her profile, praying for a sign of recognition. Her teeth came out to nip the corner of her lip, and she brought the phone an inch closer to her face.
“I know him,” she said. Her finger tapped the screen, and Cal leaned forward. His eyebrows rose.
“Are you sure? Because, judging by the other pictures, this is Will Anderson.” He pointed to the other man in the picture.
Lana adamantly shook her head and met Cal’s gaze. Her eyes sparked with excitement. “No, I’ve never seen him before. But this is Shawn Lawson, my dad’s manager.” She brought her focus back to the screen. “It must be an older picture. His hair is shorter, and he has a beard now. But it’s definitely him.”
“Sonofabitch,” Ethan hissed. “This has to be the connection.”
Lana nodded wildly. She straightened in her seat. “I still don’t see what Shawn could have to do with this, but if that’s Will Anderson, it’s too much of a coincidence.”
Cal pinched his chin between his thumb and forefinger. “We need an address for one of them.”
Silence hung in the air.
“I might be able to help with that,” Lana said. Cal shifted his gaze to Ethan and Nate, who shrugged at him.
“How, babe?”
“Well, it would involve me calling a friend, Casey, my coworker. She’s my dad’s receptionist. She’d be able to get me that information.”
Cal grunted. “No way. If you call, and Shawn or Will gets wind that—”
Lana wheeled on him. “That what? That I’m alive? I think they’ve figured that out. She’s a good friend. She wouldn’t breathe a word to anyone if I ask her not to.”
Ethan folded his arms across his chest. “I can look into Shawn Lawson and see what I can find. It’s hard to be certain, but my bet is that they’re related. Let me research a bit, and if I can’t find anything, Lana should make that call.”
Cal closed his hands into fists at his sides. Dammit, he didn’t want Lana sticking her neck out. But if it meant bringing all of this to an end, it might be worth it. He took Lana’s hand in his again and pulled her from the chair. “Let’s go talk in private.”
“Yeah, but we don’t have time for the kind of talking you have in mind,” Nate called. Cal ushered Lana out of the kitchen and turned to shoot Nate the finger.
Ethan roared, “Take your time,” then to Nate he said in a scolding tone, “Don’t be a cock-blocker.”
“What are they talking about?” Lana glanced at him over her shoulder as they passed through the living room to the guest room.
“Ignore those idiots,” he said. Ethan and Nate were harmless, but it drove Cal nuts to have them notice her. Yet another reason he ached to be alone with her, to avoid their smart-ass remarks. His gaze traced the gentle curve of her back as they entered the room, and his fingers itched to run through the dark strands of her hair. He shut the door and pulled her into his arms.
She circled her hands around his neck. A warm smile touched her lips, igniting a fire in the vibrant blues of her eyes. He took her mouth in his, savoring her sweet taste. She nipped his lip. Her hands curled at his nape. He lifted her in his arms, and her legs swung easily around his waist. Her mouth opened hungrily.
Every urge in his body told him to lay her down on the bed and get her naked. Not yet. And not with his bozo friends waiting on them.
He sat on the edge of the bed and eased his mouth from hers. “I like this.” He trailed his fingertip over her cheek. Damn, he loved that she’d gotten done up. “Did you do this for me?” He smoothed his hands down her back and filled his palms with her perfectly round ass.